When Yin met Yang
by Crayon Bunny
Summary: "... She's ill-tempered." Aragorn noticed Legolas seemed troubled by this fact. He put his hand out. "She'll come around, Legolas. Do not lose hope so easily. Not when there is already a flame between the both of you" The Prince of the Woodland Realm smiled. "You are right... and I tend to make the flame burn bright."
1. Prologue

Middle-earth; the home to all creatures. There are the Hobbits from the Shire, Orcs of Mordor, Dwarves from Moria and Erebor, Men of Rohan, Gondor and even Elves of Rivendell, Lothlórien and Mirkwood. But there was also an empire in which was not written upon the Middle-earth map.

Not far off, from the Sea of Rhûn, an Elvish Empire thrived with such beauty and royalty. All buildings made from scarlet wood and stone so beautifully carved, one could see the crystals within. This Empire was located in the East, away from the Elvish woodlands. The Emperor of the Eastern Empire, Xu Zhang, was a powerful leader and his Empire was the main unit of military for all the Elvish Kingdoms. Xu and his army always fought alongside Mirkwood, Rivendell and Lothlórien. That was until... the war of the ring began.

Thousands of Xu's elves died on the battlefield next to Elrond's people and Isildur's men, fighting against the wicked ruler of Mordor; Sauron. There was still hope however. The numbers were still large, with thanks to Xu's army quantity... but that hope was not to last. In fear that Xu would lose more of his people, he withdrew from the battle and fled from Mordor. Ever since this betrayal and knowing what war does to innocent beings, the Elvish Empire broke it's allegiance with the three Elvish Kingdoms. Since then, the Eastern Empire was never written onto the Middle-earth map again. Xu, blinded by his selfish desire to keep his own elves safe, continued to rule for many thousand years, never aiding Mirkwood, Rivendell or Lothlórien again.

Despite being seperated from other elves, his Empire grew more advanced. His elves did not excell in bow and arrows like they used to; they learnt to fight with their own bodies, thus naming this new form of fighting 'Martial Arts'. Martial arts however represented the selfish desire of protecting yourself for it was mainly 'self-defence'. Xu even had a daugther for his heir. Princess Lihua. The Princess was weak as a new born baby and struggled for her life. The Elvish healing chamber did all they could for her, but there was no hope in granting this weak child life. Xu looked up to the sky, where the sun shone bright and begged for Yin, the Goddess of the sun, to save his daughter's life. Yin granted the Emperor's wish and thus transfered life energy from itself to the baby. The Princess then cried out like a natural new born and the Emperor was happy, along with his people.

From being granted holy power from a Goddess, the Princess had gained an extraordinary power; monster strength. This strength would only be used if the Princess was angry or in a state of distress. This gift helped her in becoming a master of the Martial Arts and proved herself worthy of her title as Princess. She was "Perfect" and her father expected the same from his people. He wanted his Empire to be perfect, without the help of any one else.

However the more the Empire remains away from the three Elvish Kingdoms, the more isolated the Empire becomes and will one day be too blind to see what's actually going on outside the Empire walls.

The evil of Mordor draws near for the downfall of this perfect Empire.


	2. Chapter 1 - Rivendell's Message

The powerful Emperor stood with pride, looking down onto the silent training grounds to see his daughter in her fighting stance. Directly in front of her, on the other side of the training grounds was the Emperor's Captain of the Guard, another who was a master in Martial Arts. Now was the time for his highness to see his pride bloom with her skills. Xu spread his hands out and clapped them together, calling out in his grand, Elvish voice. "Sii!" ("Now!")

Breaking through the path of the wind, Lihua lunged forth with her powerful legs to give her an almighty speed. Her enemy spurted towards her but not as fiercely for he did not have the gift of monster strength to aid him through to his legs. Lihua threw her arms around to hit the dusty earth like a windmill in order to begin her sequence of lightning paced cartwheels. Soon those cartwheels turned into backwards somersaults and before she could collide into her enemy, the high-ranked female back flipped over the body of the male. With herself being a fair Eastern elf, she landed lightly on her feet with elegance. She straightened her right hand up so it was perpendicular to her arm and applied a vicious force to the man's back, causing his spine to rattle. He fell forwards but before his body could hit the ground, he swivelled himself round with his leg to face Lihua. He stepped forward and with quick speed, he tried to jab his enemy with both his index and middle finger; an ancient technique to hit your opponent's vital points. When on the training ground, you are considered as an equal to the other person, and it would be no different for a Princess to step onto it with a mere guard.

Left, right, up and down his hands came to hit her all over but Lihua stepped calmly away in a zigzag, lifting her forearms up from time to time to block his attacks. The stamina within the Captain was great, for he continued to do this without even breaking a sweat. He frowned however, focusing hard to try and figure out Lihua's weak point. He watched her movements closely and quickly glanced down at her feet to examine her footing but this was when Lihua took her chance to counter attack. With her lightly closed fist, she knocked it upwards into his chin making his head knock back and rotated round with her leg swinging round to kick him across his face. Before she could hit him, the Captain ducked down low onto the golden ground and swept his own foot into her leg, to knock her off her feat. As if Lihua was expecting this, she grabbed onto the elf's shoulders, cartwheeling her legs round and they landed onto his back.

Within the space of one second, she leant back and held onto his arms like reins. The Captain of the Guard winced, his nose crinkling up for he felt the mild pain his arms were in. She could quite easily, with her monster strength, pull them out of their sockets. With a fair smile of playfulness twitching up into a sinister smirk, Lihua commented. "Lle ume quel" ("You did well") She jumped off from him, seeing him collapse onto the ground from the sudden transition of pain to none. Lihua stepped in front of the Captain and gave him her hand, pulling the male to his feet. Her eyelids closed in front of her dark orbs as a pure smile took over her rose-kissed lips. "But not well enough, unfortunately" When the Princess spoke English, the language of the humans, it was clear that she was from the East. It was an accent that had been bestowed upon the East.

The sound of slow yet loud clapping echoed throughout the training grounds as the Emperor stepped down from where he was stood and walked with grace over to his daughter. "Oio naa elealla alasse'" ("Ever is thy sight a joy") Lihua turned to her father whilst his own black eyes bestowed upon her, his pride. The tips of his fingers touched his daughter's cheek whilst he smiled with all fairness he had. "Lle naa belegohtar" ("You are a mighty warrior") She nodded her head to the Emperor.

"Diola lle ada" ("Thank you, father")

"You should now rest"

Lihua shook her head, looking directly into the Emperor's eyes; something that is considered to be an act of bravery. "I am fine. I do not need to rest."

"If you do not rest, you may end up over-exerting yourself. I do not wish for that to happen to my perfect example"

The Princess used all her might to hold back her frown. She knew this from growing up. Her father wanted her to represent to his people how everyone should be; perfect. In the Emperor's eyes, she was perfect at Martial Arts, academic subjects and also in appearance. He believed that his daughter, blessed by the Goddess Yin, would bring the new Era of the Elvish Empire. In her own eyes however, she knew she was not perfect and therefore she always had pressure upon her shoulders to get things completely flawless.

Deciding that arguing would not be a wise decision against the powerful ruler, she bowed her head, agreeing with him. Once she straightened her back, she walked back into the interior of the large temple known as her home and the centre of the Empire.

Once Lihua entered her room, she slid the delicate door shut and looked down at her clothing. Rich white and black silk, made from the elves especially. The Princess appreciated her father's generosity, however, she knew all too well that the clothes in which she wore were a display upon her people. A sign of how everyone should be dressed. She wondered what it would be like to wear traditional Mirkwood robes or the precious Rivendell dresses. However, this in her opinion was something she probably would never find out. All Imperial Elves were to remain within the East and to never leave the land.

The raven-haired Princess of the East walked over to her closet, sliding it open to see the many Eastern kimonos on offer for her to wear. She pulled one of the two kimonos out that were not the colour red. Her father disapproved of anything other than red, but it is the pressure upon her shoulders which causes her to defy him at times.

Casting away the thoughts of what the Emperor would say, she undressed and put on the kimono. She did not even wear it properly; she kept it loose so it would rest past her shoulders. Her dresses were heavy which would cause her to feel uncomfortable. This was the only way in which she could wear them without having the urge to sit down every so often. But like always; her father disapproved. He wanted her to wear her clothing in the correct or 'perfect' way.

The sound of an Elvish horn was heard. An unfamiliar one to Lihua's ears. She walked out onto the balcony, lifting her dress up past her ankles so they may walk faster. The sun was setting, causing the scenery below her to be that of warm colours such as orange and yellow. Autumn colours. The sound of clanging horseshoes drew nearer and heading towards the temple was a foreign elf upon a horse. From the stories her academic teachers told her, the foreign elf appeared to be an elf from Rivendell, ruled by Lord Elrond. This caught the Princess's attention and she quickly fled from her balcony and to the throne room to greet the rider. _'An elf from Rivendell. Never have my eyes fallen upon someone different to us'_ She thought to herself, picking up her pace as she trotted down the wooden stairs. Before long, she entered the throne room to see the elf dismount his white mare and approach the Emperor. Not wanting her father to know that she was not resting, she hid behind one of the grand red pillars where even the guards could not see her. She listened carefully with her elven ears as her father spoke.

"Mankoi naa lle sinome?" ("Why are you here?") The Emperor stood up in rage but also in his stubborn pride. The messenger stepped forward, looking at Xu directly into his eyes.

"Heruamin. Amin merna quen" ("My Lord. I wish to speak")

Xu remained silent and put his arms behind his back despite not wishing to listen anyhow.

"I have a message from Lord Elrond of Rivendell. He seeks for you or someone to represent you, to attend the council"

"What council? The council of my downfall?"

"No, my Lord" The messenger took one more step forward, not daring to go any further to the powerful Emperor. "The council in which to decide the fate of... the ring."

The Princess's eyes opened at the mention of the ring. She knew the story all too well of it and to know that the ring was now in Rivendell interested her greatly. Xu turned around sharply to look at the messenger, almost in disbelief.

"The one ring, is in Rivendell? It's been missing ever since Isildur died. How did it come to be in Rivendell?"

"A Hobbit named Frodo Baggins was the bearer and was brought to Rivendell"

"A peredhil? Extraordinary..." ("A halfling? Extraordinary...")

"Please, Lord Elrond wishes for you to attend-" Before the messenger could finish, Xu interrupted him with an almost infuriated voice.

"Lá. Kela... An ngell nîn" ("No. Please... Go away") The Emperor politely requested in selfish fury. Lihua frowned at her father's choice and stepped out from behind the pillar, speaking up.

"Father! You should not turn this request down! Rivendell was once our ally."

Xu turned his head to see his daughter and almost sighed in annoyance that she was defying him by not resting.

"Lihua..."

"Please, father. This could be our chance to finally set aside our differences with the three Elvish Kingdoms and finally be whole again"

"I refuse. They always requested for _my_ army to fight in _their_ wars. I lost so many of my people because of them"  
"But father-"

His voice then roared through the grand hallway of the throne room. "Know your place, iellig!" ("Know your place, my daughter!") The Princess stepped back in almost shock of her father's sudden burst of anger, like a sparking firework. He frowned upon her. "You bring shame to this Empire if you side with them. Now... retire to your room this instant."

Lihua did not say another word and obeyed. People were watching and she did not wish to embarrass herself any further. What hurt her was not her father's scolding, but the very fact that she was scolded in front of an elf from outside the Eastern Empire. Her first impression would now be that of a negative one.

Lihua slid her bedroom door shut behind her once more, sighing with her dark eyebrows almost knitting together. Her temper was ill and quick to lose when angered and that was exactly what activated her monster strength.

"Hey, get back here you little rat!" A male elf yelled from outside and it was followed by the sound of smashing. This caused Lihua to snap out of her thoughts and walk outside onto the balcony where she spoke her thoughts.

"What on earth-" Suddenly, a capuchin monkey climbed her balcony railings and jumped into her arms with an apple in its hands. She laughed very lightly, holding the monkey out in front of her a little so she could see his face more clearly. "Lee, I thought I told you not to steal that poor elf's fruit?" Lee, her small and friendly companion, replied in his monkey language and sat upon her shoulder, munching into the ripe apple. She smiled, walking back inside to sit upon the edge of her bed to speak her thoughts out loud to Lee. She spoke to him as a friend which he was ever since she found him hungry next to a banana stall as a baby.

"He still treats me as a child. Wanting me to be his "new perfect era example". I cannot wear anything other than red or those training robes. He despises it when I leave the temple and hates it when I bring up the past. He barely allowed me to keep you, Lee" Lee looked up at the Princess whilst he sucked the juice out of the apple. He pulled his teeth away and picked out the bits that were stuck in his gums. Lihua rested her head in her hand, looking at him with a faint smile. "He doesn't even wish to help Rivendell... But what can I do? I am an Emperor's daughter. I am powerless to do anything about it" She turned her head, looking out to the sky. It was now dusk, the night sky beginning to invade the dark pink colour already placed in the sky. Her eyes connected with the bright stars already shining through the battle between the colours. Her eyes light up. "He said he wished for either my father or someone to represent him to attend the council" Lee tilted his head and the Princess smirked, turning her head back to the monkey, stroking his head.

"Let's see if the council can handle the Elvish Empire's very own monster in strength, shall we?"


	3. Chapter 2 - Meeting Him

The cloak of night hung over the Eastern Empire. Lihua attached the last of the things she had packed up for the journey to the back of her horse's saddle, which included clothes and lembas bread. She had to travel light if she wanted to get away before her father noticed and sent out riders to retrieve her. Her horse, Naher, was a rare black stallion whom had almost got put down by the General of the Imperial army due to the fact it had a lame foot. Lihua did not allow the beautiful beast to have such a fate and gave the creature a chance. Naher healed and is over 20 years old. A grand, old stallion who still has youthful fire burning within him.

Once Lihua pulled her cloak over her raven head, she pulled on the reins of Naher, leading him out of the stables. She could not just ride off now, for the guards would be sure to hear the heavy hooves of the horse. Lihua kept Naher close to the walls and checked every corner for guards. She continued to do this, taking her time, not wanting to ruin her only opportunity to finally leave the Eastern Lands. Her whispers came out very quietly and gently towards her midnight creature. "Almost there Naher... stay close to me. You too Lee"

The Princess, her stallion and Lee were now out of the guarded area around the temple. The trio now entered the dark streets of the village where the silvan elves were, taking rest within their own small temples. She kept her head down, being masked by her dull hood so no elf could recognise and report her. She merely looked like a wanderer of the night. They were now at the open archway where freedom lied beyond. She stopped, looking up at the stone wall to see that there was a guard looking out on watch. "Lee" He knew what to do. He climbed the stairs up to the top rapidly and once he got up there, he jumped onto the head of the guard, causing him to suddenly fall over the edge of the stone wall. The Princess winced her eyes a little, almost feeling the thud in which the guard had made onto the ground. She walked past the unconscious elf guard with Naher and Lee who had jumped onto the back of Naher. She quietly spoke to the body, whilst smiling nervously in an apologetic manner. "Amin hiraetha. Aa' i'sul nora lanne'lle" ("I'm sorry. May the wind fill your sails") With that, Lihua climbed onto her stallion and made haste into the night before her missing appearance was announced back at the temple.

Morning came, having chased the cloak of night away. The great black stallion was drinking from the clear river where silver pebbles laid beneath the water. Lee, the capuchin monkey was climbing the nearby trees for berries and the Eastern she-elf washed herself by splashing the water she had cupped in her hands onto her face. She sighed in content feeling the coolness of it covering her face, it being fresh like the wind roaming through her pitch-black hair. She stood back up and slid her hand over the warm neck of her stallion. The sun shone down onto his coat, making it gloss and glimmer with Arabic glory. That's when the sound of hooves suddenly hit her elvish ears in alarm. _'Could it be ring wraiths?'_ She did not wish to stay to find out however. She called for Lee and jumped back into Naher's saddle. "Auta Naher!" ("Go Naher!") With strength flooding down into the stallion's hind legs, he bolted forth and left the riverbank behind with a trail of dust, causing Lihua's hood to leave her head and free her black hair.

Four horses galloped across the grounds, a distance away from the she-elf. Elves were mounted upon the four horses. One of those elves, was a high-elf of Mirkwood; Legolas, Prince of the Woodland Realm. Behind him were his Mirkwood kin who decided to aid him in attending the Council of Elrond. The elven Prince turned his head to see, up ahead of him, a black stallion with an elven rider. With his silky blue eyes, he noticed it was in fact a she-elf from the Eastern lands. He could even see her unique facial features which marked out she was a foreigner among these very lands, leading to Rivendell.

Legolas found himself smiling cunningly in seeing an Eastern beauty. "Ride ahead, I shall not be too long" His three followers obeyed him and continued riding up ahead whilst Legolas took a sharp turn to the right, taking the short way around to meet the she-elf.

Lihua squeezed the sides of her horse, requesting for him to go faster through the woodland they were currently in. He did so, however it was a bad choice on behalf of the Princess because suddenly, a white horse up ahead decided to cut right across her horse's path, making Naher stop and rear the Princess off. Lihua landed on her backside, the dank and dirty ground cushioning her fall somewhat. She frowned, fury now flowing through her elvish veins. The she-elf heard a fair chuckle from a couple of metres away. The white horse came into sight and she saw the rider responsible. He spoke with his flawless smile gleaming upon her. "Amin hiraetha. I had no choice but to do that in order to meet you properly" ("I'm sorry. I had no choice but to do that in order to meet you properly") He held out his hand to her, offering to help her up. However, despite the Prince's charm, Lihua did not fall for it. She slapped his hand away and glared at him.

"Pe-channas! Tanya awra!" ("Idiot! That hurt!") She got off from the ground, brushing the dirt from herself whilst she mumbled to herself not caring if he heard or not. "Dolle naa lost" ("Your head is empty") Legolas would usually feel insulted by such a comment, but he continued to smile for he knew he deserved it. He already knew she was different to other she-elves he had known.

"Allow me to make it up to you"

Lihua turned her head, the light frown remaining on her face as she looked into Legolas's oceanic eyes. "How?"

"By introducing myself to you"

"Boe?" ("Is it necessary?")

He looked down, laughing very quietly and softly. He lifted his gaze back up to the Eastern she-elf once she mounted her stallion again. "But of course" He made his horse go forth to the black stallion with a couple of steps and then he spoke, bowing his head once to her. "My name is Legolas Greenleaf. I am an elven Prince."

Lihua smiled, rolling her eyes as she looked away; refusing to accept his charm. "Lle naa ernil e' nausalle" ("You are Prince in your imagination")

"But I speak the truth" This caught Lihua's attention, making her smile leave her lips and turn her head back to Legolas. In the short space of four seconds, Lihua's black eyes changed colour under the light, transferring to a deep navy colour as she focused upon the Prince's features. Beautiful long white hair, pale skin fairer than an infant's and eyes like none in which she's ever seen before. He truly appeared to be a Prince.

"I am the Prince of Mirkwood, son of King Thranduil. I tell you no lie, fair maiden"

With desperation to look away from his eyes, she swallowed her saliva and spoke firmly to him. "I am no maiden."

He edged closer to her, his horse now next to hers. His smile being more handsome than ever now. "Then what are you?"

"That, I shall not reveal to you"

"Then please give me your name"

She hesitated before giving away that personal information. She wondered if she should give it to him or not, but then again, she did not fancy being called a "maiden".

"Lihua. My name is Lihua Zhang"

The Prince's eyes lit up, realising her status which made his choice of words easier for him. He chose to enlighten her with his royal ways. "Ah, so you are more than just a maiden. A Princess of the Elvish Empire" He bowed his head to her once more, putting his hand over his chest and gestured it to her. "Êl síla erin lû e-govaned vîn" ("A star shines on the hour of our meeting") Lihua did not feel flattered at all by him personally but she did feel honoured by the fact a Mirkwood elf had acknowledged her. Being the stubborn she-elf she was, she merely turned her head away from him, making a sound as she did. His elf eyes never left her. He wished to gaze upon her Eastern beauty more, having never seen anything like her before. Lihua felt his eyes on her and she turned her head, frowning at him and concealed her pink cheeks behind her white complexion.

"Lle tela?" ("Are you finished?")

He was brought out from his thoughts but he replied to her smoothly with his husky yet fair voice. "I never will be with you, Princess, that I can assure you" Lihua went pink in the face from annoyance mixed in with embarrassment. She barked at him.

"Mani naa lle umien?" ("What did you say?")

Legolas turned away, the last thing the Princess saw being his coy smile as if he was being playful. He made his horse canter on away from her. She called out to him. "Manke naa lle autien?" ("Where are you going?")

"Rivendell. Lissenen ar' maska'lalaith tenna' lye omentuva,nîn Aranel" ("Rivendell. Sweet water and light laughter till next we meet, my Princess") He soon galloped away into the horizon before Lihua could think of anything wise to reply back to him. She growled and yelled as loud as she could.

"Pe-channas!" ("Idiot!") The pinkness soon left her face as she breathed slowly, calming herself down. Naher shook his head, snorting and Lee jumped down from a tree, coming out of hiding. He landed on the rear of Naher, shoving some berries into his mouth. "Come on Naher, Lee... let's go" With a couple of kicks at the stallion's sides, off he went again at his grand gallop towards Rivendell.


	4. Chapter 3 - Declaration

Naher cantered over the ancient stone bridge, now finally arriving at the legendary home of the elves; Rivendell. The angelic atmosphere of the home was enlightening and Princess Lihua Zhang truly felt honoured to finally be at one of the three Elvish Kingdoms. Rivendell was more magical than the Elvish Empire. It's stone was pure white like the layers of the moon. The whole Kingdom seemed to have been blessed with beauty by the moon God, Yang which could be a possible explanation of its enchantment.

Lihua dismounted her horse and pulled off her cloak, revealing her beautiful summer clothing that was not the colour red. She scanned her eyes over the architecture of Lord Elrond's home and for the first time, she found herself genuinely smiling. That was until she saw _him_ here. She glared at his black whilst he was greeted by an older looking elf which in her eyes, seemed to be Lord Elrond himself. Legolas then passed him, going onto a higher platform, presumingly taking a seat up there with his three followers. Elrond turned his head and he appeared shocked upon seeing the Eastern Princess at his home. His messenger had told him that the Elvish Empire would not be attending, but Elrond let out a small smile of his; glad that at least there was someone within the Empire willing to set aside differences.

"Princess of the Elvish Empire. You surprise me by entering Rivendell, going against the Emperor's decision"

Lihua stepped towards him with a fair expression on her face showing no threat nor remorse. "My father is blinded by his own selfish desires. I wish to no longer be apart of it."

Elrond bowed his head to the Princess. "The meeting is about to start. I bid you thanks upon coming, Lihua Zhang" He opened his arm out towards where the meeting was being held. Lihua bowed her head to him and trotted up the steps. Once she walked upon the stone, she saw there were elves, dwarves, men, a hobbit and an old wizard. Lihua was no surprised about the diversity for the ring was a very important matter, yet she did wonder why so many were here. She took a seat next to the halfling, the only seat unoccupied. Frodo Baggins turned his head ever so slightly, looking at the she-elf who had sat next to him. He had seen a fair few amount of elves, but seeing how Eastern looking she was; he was almost astonished that such elves existed.

The council meeting begun, Elrond explaining that the ring must be destroyed at Mount Doom to finally end the evil spreading over all the lands. Lihua found out a fair few things from this meeting by simply listening. She even learnt the names of most at the meeting. The men and dwarves questioned about you also and Elrond had no choice but to explain who you were. Boromir, the man with autumn coloured hair spoke.

"An elf from the Eastern Empire? I have only heard stories. I did not think they were true. Not only that... but a Princess blessed by the God, Yin?" All looked at him whilst he spoke and they all turned their heads to Lihua, properly noticing her now. Lihua's eyes connected to Boromir's pale ones as he stood up. The expression upon his face was that of disbelief, showing he was infatuated by the Princess. "... it's unreal" He spoke, suddenly receiving goosebumps from his charming choice of words. She felt no feelings towards him, she only felt charmed for now.

Legolas, seeing Boromir's words actually having a positive affect upon her, suddenly got out from his seat, stepping towards Boromir. "Have you heard nothing Lord Elrond said? The ring must be destroyed!" He declared, changing the subject drastically.

The dwarf raised his voice. "And I suppose you think you're the one to do it?"

Lihua frowned at the dwarf, well aware of the past elves have had with them. Boromir exclaimed. "And if we fail, what then? What happens when Sauron takes back what is his?"

Gimli, the outspoken dwarf, leapt to his feet. "I will be dead before I see the ring in the hands of an elf!"

This broke Lihua's patience in half and she got to her feet finally, joining the current trend amongst the council. "How dare you speak of elves in such a way!" Everyone broke out into argument, loud murmurs filling everyone's ears. Lihua's eyes glaring right through Gimli. He glared right back at her.

"Never trust an elf!" The arguing did not die down. Everyone had their hearts set on proving their points on the opposing side. This continued until the halfling stood up, raising his voice to make himself noticed.

"I will take it!" Everyone went silent; looking at the hobbit in enlightened disbelief. "but I do not know the way" That was when the Wizard told Frodo he would gladly be by his side during the journey, and even the heir of Isildur offered Frodo his help.

"... you have my sword"

Lihua smiled down at the extraordinary hobbit named Frodo Baggins. "You shall have my strength of Yin, young Frodo"

Legolas stepped forward along with Gimli following behind. "You have my bow"

"And my axe"

Boromir finally stepped forward, offering the hobbit his help also. Then out popped three more hobbits. The Princess blinked at this, never seeing such lively spirit to help a friend.

"Anyway... you need people of intelligence on this sort of mission... quest... thing" The one named Pippin said and Merry, the one beside him replied.

"Well, that rules you out, Pip" Lihua found herself laughing very quietly at the humour between the two.

"Ten companions... so be it" Elrond said, thoughtfully whilst observing the group. "You shall be the 'Fellowship of the Ring'" And that was the diverse unity created that day to go on the life changing quest upon Middle-earth thus changing their lives, forever.

Later than day, near the end of dusk, a feast was held for all the Fellowship. A celebration of their unity before they head out on their quest. They all sat at a long elvish table in the shape of a rectangle. The Princess sat across the elvish Prince of Mirkwood, minding her own business as she ate. She simply listened to the conversations around her.

"And so then I was like "you can't tell me what to do, I'm hungry and I want to eat your sprouts"" Pippin happily told Gimli who was opposite him, Merry being beside himself and the other two hobbits sat either side of the dwarf.  
"Sprouts? How can you eat such nasty wee things?" Gimli replied.

"I just eat whatever's on the ground, really"

"Pippin." Merry put his hand on his friend's shoulder, giving him a serious look. "You're getting deep and personal now. Don't expose your weaknesses"

Pippin shrugged as he swallowed his mouthful of lettuce leaves, turning his head to Lihua. "So, Princess Lihua" He spoke in his Irish accent which the Princess found to be an admirable quirk of the halflings. She looked at him, swallowing her own small mouthful. "..." Pippin paused, thinking of something to say to her. He found her Eastern beauty to be very captivating, almost making him lose his sense of speech. "w-what's..." he cleared his throat, making a sly recovery. "What's your weakness?"

Merry blinked at his friend. "Pippin. You can't just ask someone what their weakness is."

Princess Zhang smiled, shaking her head as she took another mouthful of green, not bothering to answer the question. "I believe I know what her weakness is" The voice belonged to Legolas. The hobbits and the dwarf turned their heads to him, wanting to know the answer. Lihua's head snapped up, looking at him in question but he gave her the faintest of smirks and a knowing look which suggested himself being her weakness. Noticing what Legolas was implying, Lihua went red with anger, enclosing her fists tightly. Aragorn noticed also in the corner of his eye what was going on whilst he talked to Boromir and Gandalf. Tension was growing slowly.

"M-miss Zhang? Are you okay?" Samwise Gamgee questioned politely in concern or perhaps in fear of her suddenly silenced status. She spoke plainly, grabbing smoothly the rim of her silver plate.

"Yes, young Samwise Gamgee" She closed her eyes, turning her head to the hobbit, looking like she was about to make conversation with him. Lihua let out an obvious fake smile. "I am fine" Suddenly she threw her plate of food at Legolas. "Whoops, sorry. My hand just slipped" She exclaimed as it hurled towards him but before it could hit him, Legolas grabbed his own plate and held it up, blocking her plate from hitting him; thus causing lettuce leaves to go over the floor and table. Lihua looked at him in disbelief whilst he smiled with his eyes shut too.

"Sorry. My hand slipped" He opened his eyes, revealing a much rarer shade of grey now.

Lihua restrained herself from growling so she calmly stood up, speaking through gritted teeth. "I shall be retiring to my room now" Without her wishing to hear another word being said, she lifted her dress up slightly and made her way to where her room was, two elvish maidens escorting her there. When they had led her to her room, she nodded to them in thanks and walked in, shutting the doors firmly behind her.

Legolas was currently outside, scanning the elvish statues. He successfully managed to identify every single one of them, proving he paid attention to his ancestors and kin.

"Legolas" Aragorn called out to the Prince, soon joining him under the night sky. Legolas turned his head to face him.

"Mani naa ta?" ("What is it?")

Aragorn paused, looking back to the interior of where the feast was being held and back at Legolas. "Le ar Lihua" ("You and Lihua") Aragorn gave his friend a questioning look. The elvish Prince just smiled to himself, looking away.

"You noticed."

Aragorn found himself staring at his friend for a few seconds before soon smiling himself.

"You like her"

"She interests me. He vanimle sila tiri" ("She interests me. Her beauty shines bright") He turned his head to his friend. "And she is different" Aragorn nodded, agreeing with it completely.

"Of course. I do not think I've ever seen a woman act like that before"

Legolas looked up to the stars, noticing each individual twinkle of them. He seemed more distant now, deep in thought. The breeze lightly brushed through his moon-kissed hair. "... She's ill-tempered."

Aragorn noticed Legolas seemed troubled by this fact. He put his hand out. "She'll come around, Legolas. Do not lose hope so easily. Not when there is already a flame between the both of you"

The Prince of the Woodland Realm smiled. "You are right... and I tend to make the flame burn bright." Legolas looked up to the sky once more, his eyes shining bright as he thought to himself. _'Aranel... amin lakilea lle óre' ('Princess... I shall win your heart')_


	5. Chapter 4 - Only you

Lihua sat in front of the mirror, brushing her fingers through her long black hair whilst Lee was chasing the leaves that blew around in the room thanks to the wind coming through from the balcony. The Princess was proud of her beauty, knowing she was blessed with it. However, she never thought she was perfect. Just different.

Branches shook from outside, causing Lihua to snap her head out to the balcony. Her eyebrow cocked up at the strange noises. She stood up, walking outside to look over the balcony to find the culprit. Before she could place her hands on the stone, Legolas jumped down onto it with his famous smile on his lips. Lihua gasped at his sudden appearance and frowned up at him, hissing.

"Mani naa lle umien sinome?" ("What are you doing here?")

Legolas jumped down, looking at Lihua with bright blue eyes which glimmered under the moonlight.

"Gellon ned i galar i chent gîn ned i n'gladhog" ("I love to see your eyes shine when you frown")

She huffed loudly, almost stropping as she tried to calm down. Her heartbeat was racing drastically because of the shock. Legolas then commented cheekily in a "romantic" fashion.

"Do not worry, I am here to take your fears away"

Lihua rolled her eyes and pushed him away from her, walking back inside.

"Don't even bother"

Legolas followed her inside, giving a short chuckle.

"Come now, Princess. You know I've been playing with you today. I did not mean for you to hurt yourself this morning"

Her eyes were closed, still frowning as she sat on her bed.

"It's not funny"  
"Because I made your cheeks the colour of a rose?"

Lihua's eyes snapped open, whipping her head to face the Prince.

"You did no such thing!"

"Oh, but I did" He smiled, going to sit on the chair near her bed. "My elven eyes never lie" Lihua felt heat spreading onto her cheeks again as she looked away, stubbornly. She changed the subject.

"You deliberately made me fall off my horse"

"I had no intention of hurting you. I wished to meet you"

"What kind of Prince knocks a woman off her horse?"

"A Prince who believes he shouldn't have to "act" like a Prince to others, but be himself"

Lihua paused, understanding what he meant. Perhaps they weren't so different after all. Even though their differences clearly draw each other together, they shared one thing in common. They both didn't believe in being someone else in front of others.

"Still, it was highly unflattering"

"And you are stubborn"

She pursed her lips together, scowling at the Prince. "Auta miqula orqu" ("Go kiss an orc")

He smiled more, finding it to be adorable the way she hissed at him like an angry kitten.

"Oio naa elealla alasse'" ("Ever is thy sight a joy")

"Utinu en lokirim" ("Son of snakes" (dishonest person))

"Amin témas'" ("I'm serious")

"Lasta lalaithamin" ("Listen to my laughter") The Princess then fake laughed, proving that she did not believe the elven Prince. Legolas refused in losing this verbal battle. Her Yin attitude was up against his Yang behaviour. He smiled, shaking his head as he sat next to her on the bed, holding her hand with romance glistening through his fair voice.

"Menealle ier nauva calen ar' malta" ("Your ways are green and golden")

Before he could intertwine their fingers together, Lihua stood up to walk back out to the balcony. "Sevig thû úan" ("You smell like a monster")

Legolas stood in front of her, wanting her to look at him whilst he continued to try and win her over with his charm. "Nan' lle sevig thû cartel" ("But thee smells like a rose")

She turned her head away from him. "Lle risa a' amin" ("You lie to me")

Legolas held her chin gently, making her look up into his precious grey ones. His voice coming out soft like an angel's. "Never"

Lihua was now captivated by his gaze, not wishing to look away now. He was winning this battle and she was finding it ever so hard to continue arguing. Biting the inside of her lip, she held back the urge to allow her cheeks to change in temperature.

"Peditham hi sui vellyn?" ("May we speak as friends now?") Legolas asked out of kindness and as a truce. Giving in to his handsome ways, Lihua sighed and nodded once, feeling more relaxed now.

"Diola lle... astalder" ("Thank you... valiant one")

Lihua raised an eyebrow and smiled in a way which questioned his choice of words. "Astalder?" ("Valiant one?")

Legolas's white smile was expressed. "Ná. Cormlle naa tanya tel'raa" ("Yes. Your heart is that of a lion") Lihua smiled, turning around to walk back inside. That was until Legolas added another statement. "...Lle harwa" ("... You bite") Lihua stopped in her tracks, looking at the Prince with offended astonishment, her mouth hung open.

"How dare-" Legolas then went back onto the stone rail of the balcony to leave. "Fó! Manke naa lle autien?" ("Nay! Where are you going?") She frowned, running over to him.

"Amin autien rath" ("I'm going to bed") Legolas turned his head to her, putting his hand over where his heart was. "Cormamin niuve tenna' ta elea lle au'" ("My heart shall weep until it sees thee again")

"Ha" Was the sound she quietly made, hearing his "sweet" words. She watched him as he climbed down. She whispered. "Quel kaima" ("Sleep well")

Suddenly, the Prince's lips connected to her cheek in a quick peck. "I shall, valiant one" He then disappeared by dropping himself down onto a branch and he jumped back onto the ground, leaving to where his own room was. The Princess's eyes were wide and her hand went to the cheek in which he kissed. She pursed her lips together once more and whisper-yelled at him.

"Pe-channas!" ("Idiot!")

Morning came to Rivendell and the sun shone down upon the Fellowship. Elrond was bidding them their goodbyes and good luck upon the quest, for he knew that they were going to need it. Frodo then led the way with Gandalf behind him, instructing him on which directions to take. Before long, the Fellowship had trekked through the land of Deep Valleys and were now setting up camp on the Eregion hill. Currently, Aragorn and Boromir were giving Merry and Pippin sword tuition whilst Lihua was perched upon a rock, beside Legolas.

"So you ran away from home?" Legolas questioned.

"Yes, I suppose you could say that. However, I did not do it for a selfish reason. I'm not like my father. I ran away because I wished to help one in need. Lord Elrond."

"Not only that, but you stayed on to help us, the Fellowship. That takes courage" Legolas smiled, causing Lihua to do the same.

"Speak for yourself"  
"I suppose I just did" The pair laughed quietly at the mild humour.

"May you pass me my satchel?" The Prince nodded, turning his body to where her satchel was.

"Of course" However when he grabbed a hold of it, Lee suddenly made a noise and jumped out of the bag, causing Legolas to jump. "Ah!" Lihua laughed louder as Lee climbed onto her shoulders, hiding in her black hair as he looked at the Prince with his beady eyes.

"Mani naa tanya nat'?" ("What is that thing?")

"That _thing _is Lee. He's a capuchin monkey" When Legolas passed her her satchel, she pulled out an apple and offered it to Lee. "Here, Lee" The monkey refused to take it however for it was still eyeing the Prince in fear. "Look, what you did. You scared him"

"He was the one who jumped out at me"

"But you were the one who groped him"

"I didn't-" Lihua interrupted Legolas by throwing the apple at him. Legolas caught it with one hand.

"Offer him that as an apology"

"Will it work?"

"Of course. How can anyone resist your _charm_?" Lihua mocked with a playful smile. Legolas ignored her mocking behaviour and held the apple out to the monkey who was still hiding behind Lihua's raven hair.

"Say something to him"

Legolas raised his eyebrow at Lihua. "What?"

"He's intelligent for a monkey. Say something nice to him and maybe he'll come out"

Legolas looked back to where the monkey's eyes were and spoke very gently.

"Don't be afraid" Lee's head then popped out slowly. "I won't hurt you" Lee climbed down Lihua's body and slowly stepped towards where the apple was in Legolas's hand. Lee looked at Legolas and then at the apple. The monkey then snatched it out of his hand and ran away behind a boulder, making monkey noises that resembled laughter as he went. Legolas just blinked in confusion whilst Lihua laughed.

"Oh Lee. He tends to do that to strangers but he'll warm up to you eventually"

"You mean like you are now?" He glanced at her slowly with now oceanic eyes. When her dark orbs connected to his, she felt a somewhat painful spark in the centre of her heart.

"Um..." She looked away trying to change the subject for he had once again brought her into a situation where she was going to lose and he was going to be triumphant with his blissful ways. Legolas however was the one to suddenly get up as he jumped over to another boulder, looking out to the sky. Lihua looked out to where he was looking and she saw a dark patch moving in the sky.

"What is that?" Sam questioned.

"Nothing. It's just a wisp of a cloud" Gimli replied. Boromir spoke next.

"It's moving fast... against the wind"

"Crebain from Dunland!" Legolas yelled whilst Aragorn shouted out for everyone to hide. Lihua got to her feet, running over to where there was cover, getting under some branches of a low tree. Legolas suddenly slid in next to her and sighed, exclaiming quietly.

"You've got to be kidding me"

The bird like creatures flew across where the Fellowship was sitting only moments ago. Everyone remained in a low position until the spies finally disappeared. After that, everyone got out from hiding, looking at the skies for where they were heading next.

"Spies of Saruman. The passage South is being watched" Gandalf looked back at the Fellowship. "We must take the pass of Caradhras!" He announced, gesturing to some snowy mountains.

Throughout the day, the Fellowship struggled up the mountains, through the heavy snow and now there was a heavy blizzard brewing. Everyone stayed close to the sides of the mountain, not wanting to fall off the ledge for it was a terrible drop. Legolas was up ahead, saying how he could hear a fell voice within the air. Gandalf warned his group that it was Saruman. Suddenly, the thunder rumbled and huge heaps of snow fell from the top of the mountain and onto the Fellowship, smothering them all in thick layers of snow. Most of the Fellowship was able to climb out of the snow and the rest had help from those around them. Lihua pushed herself out from the snow, pulling Legolas up so he was now longer covered by the thick blanket of death. He looked at Lihua and smiled in thanks.

"You saved my life"

Lihua scolded him. "Now is not the time, Legolas"

It was then decided by Frodo that the Fellowship were to head to the mines of Moria for a newer and more safe passage. They were now so close to the mines. They all walked under the moonlight, heading to where a secret door would be that would only appear on a full moon. Lucky for them it would be a full moon that night. Legolas walked beside Lihua as she held onto the reins of Naher.

"Thank you, for back at the mountains. It seems your strength saved me"

She smiled, shaking her head. "It was nothing" She gave him a smile that represented one of his "charming" ones, speaking to him like he would talk to her. "It was my absolute pleasure to save your life" He chuckled, looking down for he now knew what he sounded like.

"I have taste in my way of speaking"

"Well, you should know. I'm sure you speak like that to many other elves" She stated as she walked forward, leaving Legolas behind her and her horse.

_'No... only you'_ Legolas thought to himself.


	6. Chapter 5 - So close

The Fellowship waited outside the Door of Durin whilst Gandalf muttered countless spells in an attempt to open the door so they may trek through the mines. Lihua stood next to Sam whilst they removed the bags and bridles from Bill, Sam's pony and Naher. The mines were no place for a pony and horse.

Lihua's hand continued to glide against the neck of her beautiful black stallion, whilst her eyebrows were furrowed upwards in a curve. It was true that she felt sad, but it was for the best.

"See you around, Naher. Go back to Rivendell, it'll just worry father if you return to him without me. Lord Elrond will take care of you" With a small slap on his behind, Naher trotted off, soon joining Sam's pony up ahead. Lihua turned her head to the hobbit and smiled a little. "They'll be safer this way than going into those mines, Samwise Gamgee" He sighed, trying his best to smile.

"I know. I'm going to miss him"

"Sam, it's not goodbye forever" He looked up at Lihua with a questioning look. Lihua only smiled.

"You'll make it back to the Shire. I promise you"  
"But... what makes you so sure?"  
"Because, Sam" Lihua crouched down to his height and placed her strong hand on his shoulder. Her eyes shone bright and had actually changed to a dark blue colour thanks to the moonlight. Her smile was bright like crystals in the eyes of the hobbit before her. "We will protect you, Frodo, Merry and Pippin with our lives" The way the elf said her words, they had lifted the big heart beating within young Samwise Gamgee. This gave him hope.

"And I'll protect my friends too... i-if I can"

Lihua laughed very quietly, nodding. "I'm sure you will, Sam" Lihua stood back up and when she did, the door of Durin had finally opened. She sighed with relief, glad that they weren't going to stay out all night. She picked up her bag and satchel, putting them over her shoulders. Lee popped his head out of her satchel, looking up at her and speaking in monkey language. Lihua looked down at him. "Just stay in there, Lee. I don't want you to cause trouble for Gandalf. It's a dangerous place" As if he could understand her, Lee went back into the satchel, just munching on the food that was in there for him to keep himself occupied.

"And they call it a mine. A _mine_" Gimli announced.

"This is no mine..." Boromir stopped in his tracks, looking around at the dead corpses. "It's a tomb" Lihua's eyes went wide, looking down at her feet to see a skeleton that belonged to a dwarf. Legolas ripped out one of the arrows from a corpse. He frowned with disgust.

"Goblins" The Fellowship drew their swords, looking around with fright whilst Boromir spoke next.

"We make for the gap of Rohan. We should never have come here" Suddenly, Frodo began to yell for help. The Fellowship turned around, only to see a Kraken coming out of the water, trying to drown Frodo. Aragorn, Boromir, Gimli and Legolas rushed out to attack the creature. The two men and the dwarf hacked at the creature's tentacles whilst Legolas shot at the head of it with his elvish arrows. That's when Aragorn turned around and yelled out to Lihua once he caught Frodo in his arms.  
"Lihua! Now!" He cried for he knew what the Princess was capable of. Lihua nodded once and ran out to where they were and with both her hands, she grabbed onto a tentacle and used it to try and throw the creature back into the water. The Kraken was strong, but with one huge yell, Lihua managed to swing the creature against the cliff which was a few yards away to give the Fellowship time to run back inside. All thanks to her monster strength. Lihua called out.

"Everyone, back inside!" The Kraken crawled back through the waters to try and attack again but when they got inside, the entrance soon caved in and darkness surrounded everyone. Light then appeared from Gandalf's staff. They had no choice but to walk through the darkness of Moria. Boromir was looking at Lihua in shock however. Lihua noticed this and she frowned.

"What?"

He shook his head but his mouth was still hung open. "Nothing... it's just-" He blinked and Legolas watched him closely from up ahead. "You really do have monster strength"

"Yes, and she saved our lives" Chuckled Aragorn who ruffled Lihua's hair, causing Lihua to playfully hit his arm with a scowl.

"Yes..." Boromir smiled, looking down. He then mumbled something as if he felt too embarrassed to say it. "Thank you, Princess Lihua" Lihua raised her hand.

"Just address me by Lihua. As long as I'm within the Fellowship I don't wish to be known as a Princess" He nodded, laughing nervously.

"R-right, of course." Lihua nodded, looking away and when she did she gave out a frown to herself due to the awkward conversation that had just happened. She found Boromir to be quite odd and more than awkward. Being behind Aragorn, Lihua began to climb a small ladder like everyone else was doing to get up to a higher level. Legolas was in front of Aragorn, but he listened very carefully to Lihua and Boromir's conversation.

"So, Princess- Sorry, I mean _Lihua._ Where I come from," He smiled proudly to himself, hoping his next few words would impress the Eastern beauty. "I'm considered to be a bit of a Prince myself" She rolled her eyes, just finding it to be amusing at his attempt to impress her.

"Oh?"

"Yes" He laughed. "Women would come up to me and even ask me to be the bears of my children" Legolas ended up cracking part of the ladder with his firm grip of fury the more he continued to listen. He got to the top and helped Aragorn up. "Do you think you would ever ask someone to be the bearer of their children?" Legolas helped Lihua up from the ladder. She smirked down at Boromir, teasing him.

"Maybe" With that, she walked away, following Aragorn. Boromir laughed and held his hand out to Legolas, expecting help also; but the Prince of Mirkwood simply glared at him and followed Lihua, leaving Boromir alone on the ladder.

As more time passed, the Fellowship had ended up in a stone room where there was a tombstone for one of Gimli's cousins; Balin. Gimli grieved over the loss of his cousin whilst drums suddenly began to beat heavily. Noises were heard from outside the room. Legolas glared, stepping in front of Lihua.

"Orcs" The Princess put her hand on Legolas's arm and pushed him gently out of her way.

"And I do not need protection" Aragorn, watching their behaviour managed to smile, letting out a small chuckle as he grabbed anything he could find to block the doors. Everyone got into their positions, ready to attack the orcs who were trying to break in along with the cave troll. The cave troll barged in and that was when the battle had begun. The Fellowship attacked many of orcs, killing them with ease and having no weapon, Lihua used her strength to break their necks, crush their skulls and even throw them into their allies. Merry and Pippin would just look at her in awe as this happened. The Eastern Princess pulled back her fist and brought it forth to send another orc flying back into one of his comrades and she smirked, her sadistic side edging through her veins. Sam then called out in fright.

"Princess Lihua! Behind you!" Before she could turn around, she heard an orc from behind her grunt and fall to the ground. She blinked and suddenly Legolas's lips were right beside her ear.

"Consider that as me making it up to you, for knocking you off your horse" Lihua managed to hold back the shiver that would have ran down her spine by turning around, raising her eyebrow.

"I already forgave you for that"

"But I hadn't forgiven myself... until now" Legolas then ran off to the left, in order to assist Aragorn. Lihua's hand went over to where her heart was and clutched the fabric in front of it. It was hurting; her heart. Beating harder than normal. Lihua knew all too well that it was Legolas's doing. She lowered her head, frowning.

"Pe-channas..." ("Idiot...") She whispered to herself.

After the battle was won by the Fellowship, Gandalf ordered everyone to get to the bridge of Khazad-dum. Before they had gotten there, they learnt of the horrific demon which was after them. A Balrog. The Fellowship struggled to get away from it, but they succeeded and they had managed to cross the bridge. Even so, Gandalf stayed behind to fight the demon off, shouting to it that it may not pass.

"Go back to the shadows" Gandalf snarled, glaring at the demon right into its flaming eyes. Everyone watched in fright at this scene, finding Gandalf's courage to be truly amazing. Gandalf raised his staff.

"You. Shall not. PASS!" He roared throughout the place and slammed his staff onto the bridge, causing it to crumble and break once the Balrog stepped onto it. Just as everyone was about to head on, Gandalf was now hanging onto the ledge. Frodo's eyes went wide as he darted forward to help his friend, but Aragorn held him back for he knew the fate in which Gandalf was about to face. "Fly, you fools" Just like that, the wizard let go from ledge and fell into the shadows. Sorrow clouded over the Fellowship as they made their way out from the mines and into the daylight. Many collapsed to the ground from their sadness taking over their limbs. The hobbits wept more than their hearts could allow, Lihua stood along with Legolas in disbelief, whilst Gimli was held back by Boromir. It was not long before the Fellowship had to continue their way and head towards the forest of Lothlórien. They trekked down the white stone mountain, Legolas joining Lihua's side.

"Lle tereva?" ("Are you alright?") The Prince asked the Princess. She nodded once, her eyes being dull and distant. She did not reply, causing Legolas to sense something was wrong. "Lle tyava quel?" ("Do you feel well?") Overcame with exhaustion, Lihua closed her eyes and leant her head against Legolas's shoulder. She was lacking too much sleep to realise what she was actually doing. Her pride would never allow her to do this, but she had been caught off guard.

"Just tired" The Prince of Mirkwood smiled, seeing the Princess let down her protective shield whilst she got minimal rest against his broad shoulder.

"It seems to be that when you use your strength, you also lose a significant amount of your energy" He calmly spoke, tucking a few strands of her hair behind her ear delicately so she would not notice. She mumbled.

"I never used to... but then my father began to overwork me when it came to training. It got to a point where he would send me to my room after every agni kai I did so I could rest." Legolas went silent for a moment when Lihua informed him of such a thing.

"Why would he overwork you?"

"Because I'm his "perfect example". He wants me to be the new era of what everyone should be. Perfect. All because I was blessed by the Goddess, Yin. Maybe I _was_ perfect at one point, but now... I'm far from it." Legolas smiled, looking down at her.

"I wouldn't say far from it"

"Oh? What would you say?" Lihua asked, lifting her head from his shoulder and looking at him. The Prince's eyes looked deep into hers as they continued to walk.

"I would say... far beyond it" Her heart banged against her chest, hurting her yet again. She even stammered from his answer, not believing this sudden feeling of warmth and the yearn of wanting him to say more things like that to her.  
"N-no. You're lying" Her cheeks were going red, her heart throbbing with want. She touched her cheek with her fingers, feeling the drastic change in temperature. Legolas took her hand away from her face, smirking faintly.

"Is the fair Princess from the East beginning to bloom like a rose within her cheeks?" She frowned in embarrassment.

"Not a chance"

"Your cheeks lie to me, valiant one" He placed his hand on her cheek, his faint smirk now becoming a beautiful smile. "They are warm like the sun's beams" The Princess stared into his eyes but her head was screaming at her to be stubborn to him. She looked away with her eyes, her lips poked out into a childish pout. "It seems I'm so very close" She didn't turn her head back to him but replied.

"Very close to what?" The Prince of the Woodland Realm held the Princess of the East's hand and leant forward to her ear. His lips were almost touching the shell of her ear as he spoke with such romance and emotion in his voice.

"To winning your heart" He turned his head, placing his velvet lips against her rosy cheek. His lips remained there for mere seconds, however in Lihua's mind it felt like a life time because the whole world slowed down in that moment. He pulled his lips away and joined Aragorn up ahead. The fact of the matter was, Lihua knew he was right. He was so close. Maybe he was already there.


End file.
